Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #8: Into the Great Wide Open

Release Date: July 2, 1991

Personnel: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitars); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Howie Epstein (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Tom Petty; Mike Campbell; Jeff Lynne

Side One: Learning to Fly; Kings Highway; Into the Great Wide Open; Two Gunslingers; The Dark of the Sun; All or Nothin'

Side Two: All the Wrong Reasons; Too Good to Be True; Out in the Cold; You and I Will Meet Again; Makin' Some Noise; Built to Last

Into the Great Wide Open begins with "Learning to Fly", Beatles inspired power pop delivered with Petty's steady self-assurance.  "King's Highway" leans into Petty's specific variety of Americana, which was fully formed by the early 1990s, a rebellious not so much rooted in regional identity but a celebration of free will against long odds. The music business satire of 'Into the Great Wide Open" foreshadowed Petty's jaundice eyed, but honest view of the industry. The star-studded music video starring 21 Jump Street era Johnny Depp as "Eddie" also featured an extended version of the song. "Two Gunslingers" turns to Western iconography to tell a morality tale. "The Dark of the Sun" sounds inspired like a lost George Harrison track, clearly influenced by the Wilbury sound fashioned by Jeff Lynne. "All or Nothin" leaned into a heavier sound, more on the Rolling Stones end of the spectrum. 

"All the Wrong Reasons" is tinged with a soothing melancholy, "Too Good to Be True" could be a sequel to "Freefallin." 'Out in the Cold" features a blistering solo from Mike Campbell and Petty's impassioned lyrics on disconnection, Lynne's production maintains the melodic landscape of the record. "You and I Will Meet Again" never goes too far beyond the title, but the performance sustains the track. "Makin Some Noise" goes along with thematically with "Into the Great Wide Open" as a counter to the cynicism. "Built to Last" end the album on a retro note with a synthy doo-wop sound and easy-going lyrics. 

With Petty's superstar status now enshrined with his stint in The Traveling Wilburys and an impressive solo album with Full Moon Fever, Into the Great Wide Open proved the Heartbreakers were becoming stalwarts of classic rock, Lynne's production put them in synch with their influences while expanding the possibilities.